Scoops seem to be a huge deal in the media world. They build brands and boost page views. But as a consumer I don't particularly care where my news originated, I just care that I get it and understand the significance of it.
Is it possible that the power of 'scoops' will diminish with the rise of social sharing platforms like Twitter and Facebook? Or am I missing the point altogether?

Do Scoops Still Matter?

Scoops seem to be a huge deal in the media world.They build brands and boost page views.But as a consumer I don't particularly care where my news originated, I just care that I get it and understand the significance of it.

Is it possible that the power of 'scoops' will diminish with the rise of social sharing platforms like Twitter and Facebook?Or am I missing the point altogether?

I LOVE scoops.They are good for society and democracy.The world needs reporters looking for NEW information, telling readers something they didn't know before, and not just rehashing old stories.The goal of a reporter should be to *advance* the story, to add to what has already been done, and expand the conversation.Any decent reporter will generate scoops as a natural part of her work and any decent publisher will know how to "own" those stories to build traffic and the site's brand.

To play devil's advocate: I believe it was Jeff Jarvis who said "scoops have the half-life of a link."bit.ly

There are also times when a "scoop" is a dubious claim to make.Take the Supreme Court ruling.Nobody could really claim the "scoop" because it was the Supreme Court that was going to "break" the news.At best a news org could be the first to claim they re-uttered it on air.(yelling "first" in a comment thread).There was a really good discussion about this using the Supreme Court ruling as a jumping off point (the comments here are pretty good): bit.ly

I think more people get their "scoops" mediated through Social Media - so it's less about who "broke" the news - but who reached an individual first.

Scoops still matter because if all is right in Internet world, you'll get links back and credit for the scoop.It often happens.It should.Unfortunately it doesn't always.Either way, as Jonah says, we need to constantly be looking to uncover new stories of value to the public and advance stories that need advancement.Scoops can do that.I also agree with David's point that people often get "scoops" through social media "so it's less about who 'broke' the news - but who reached an individual first."That's why it's so important to not just get your "scoop" on Twitter and Facebook as soon as you can, but also stay on top of the story with updates.Be relentless keeping up with the latest and hopefully people take notice of that.